General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has completed several key tests for nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) reactor technology at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).
These tests focused on using NTP reactor fuel for fast, agile cislunar travel and deep space missions, including potential human missions to Mars.
GA-EMS collaborated with NASA to ensure its design-specific nuclear fuel meets the extreme performance standards needed for possible harsh operational conditions in space.
The American energy and defence company conducted the high-impact tests at MSFC in Huntsville, Alabama.
The nuclear fuel was exposed to hot hydrogen flow through the samples and underwent six thermal cycles, reaching peak temperatures of 2,600 K (4,220°F).
Each cycle included a 20-minute hold at peak performance to test the fuel’s resilience against erosion and degradation by the hot hydrogen.
Additional tests were conducted with different protective features to gather data on how material enhancements boost performance under reactor-like conditions.
GA-EMS president Scott Forney said: “The recent testing results represent a critical milestone in the successful demonstration of fuel design for NTP reactors.
“Fuel must survive extremely high temperatures and the hot hydrogen gas environment that an NTP reactor operating in space would typically encounter.
“We’re very encouraged by the positive test results proving the fuel can survive these operational conditions, moving us closer to realising the potential of safe, reliable nuclear thermal propulsion for cislunar and deep space missions.”
According to Christina Back, vice president of nuclear technologies and materials at GA-EMS, the company is the first in the sector to use the NASA MSFC’s compact fuel element environmental test (CFEET) facility to test and demonstrate fuel survivability.
The energy and defence company also conducted tests in a non-hydrogen environment at our GA-EMS lab, confirming the fuel’s performance at temperatures up to 3,000 K. This could make the NTP system more efficient than traditional chemical rockets, General Atomics said.
GA-EMS conducted testing for NASA under a contract managed by Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) at the US Department of Energy’s Idaho National Lab (INL).
NASA and BEA partnered in late 2020 to develop new technologies for a fission surface power (FSP) system designed for operation on the Moon.
